Country Living Guild inductee Brian Laurich uses old painted wood surfaces as ready-made canvases to create antiques with messages.

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antique-signs-laurich-PROF0506

Although the businesses advertised on Laurich's signs no longer exist, what is real is the artistry of each creation ($95 to $3,200). Laurich is the 24th member of the Country Living Guild, which honors artists and artisans who continue the tradition of American craftsmanship.

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brian-laurich-PROF0506

Once upon a time, a man who made a good but unsatisfying living in the graphic-arts field fell asleep in his quiet house in Maryland. When he awoke from his doze, he was a new person, an artist. "I know it sounds like something out of a cliched Hollywood plot," says Brian Laurich, "but, really, one day I took an afternoon nap and the answer for changing my life and truly becoming the artist I always wanted to be was right there in front of me when I woke up."